Can opener



J. LAMPL CAN OPENER sept. 12, 195o 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fld Sept. 23, 1946IMI/ENTOR. doser L10/MP1.

N Jv n @on sept. 12, 195o J. LAMPL.

CAN QPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 23, 1946 INVENTOR. doser LAMPI.

TTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. l2, 1950 -UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE A asians. i v CANOPENERl Y Josef LampLLos Angeles, Calif., assignor to National MachineEngineers,fLos Angeles, Calif.,

l acorporationofCalifornia vApplication September 23,1946, Serial No.698,826

(c1. so-m v 7 Claims.

' "This invention relates fparticularly to improvements in can openersof-thesemiautomatic type wherein a gripping and ycuttingmechanism isautomatically operable or :'releasable. by the appropriate movement ofan patent application for Can Opener, Serial No.;

:597,1'76, filed June 2, 1945, and is a Icontinuation lin. part of saidapplication. In said co-pending `e`.p1`3lication the'initial rotation'ofan' operating handle. in a given direction actuates an approfpriatemechanism, and causes a primary engage,- ment of the lip of a canbetween a suitably ser- ."rated rollerand a cutter, While a furtherrota-Ction of the handle in the same direction operfates to shear the vlidfrom a can. On the other hand, rotation'of said handle in a reversedirection initially operates said mechanism to move the serrated wheeland cutter apart ina manner to release the lip of the can from itscutting engagement therebetween.

They mechanism above vreferred toand described hereinafter generallyycomprises a full gear .rotatably securedy to the operating handle and. amutilated gear positioned toy mesh'with the full gear during theinitialphase ofthe rotation ofthe handle and full gear in either'adriving or releasing direction. lThev handle* is `directly connectedwith the serrated roller while the mutilated gear is indirectlyconnectedito the serrated wheel through an eccentric bearingfand leverwhich initially operate .to raise andX lower the serrated wheel relativeto the cutter depending upon the direction ofrotation of the drivinghandle. i

It is intended iin the-` instant invention torprovide certainimprovements for application. to a `can opener of the general typedisclosed in said co-pending application orto can openers utilizingequivalent devices to perform thefxsa'me .-functions. These improvementsare intended to rease th'e operationof the can yopener'and,gamlong otherthings, =11o-furnish a` plurality of `resilient `connections between the'can and the operative can-engaging mechanism of the can opener.

It frequentlyoccurs in. can openers oir-conventional constructionxthatthegcuttin'g and.y

Buteven after :such an exact to can openers and more upon which thecutting parts are located and showing these parts in an open position. z

. lFigure'Z -is an elevational view of the can .opener taken from theopposite side of Figure-1,

2 positioning of the can, the cutting and driving 'elements tend yto`jam and stick against the can bead or' cause the can to tilt, largelydue to ir,- regularities in the can surfaces and the lack of adequatecompensation for these conditions in the ycan opener.

Itistherefore an object of this invention to provide, in a can opener ofthe character described, a driving wheel mounted for yieldablecan-cutting movement in` a vertical direction.

It is another object to provide a new and improved mounting for aserrated driving `wheel by means vof ywhich said Wheel is yieldablelater,

' ally .during a can-cutting operation.

A furthervobject is to'provide a new and improved 'can' opener in whichboth the cutting and driving elements are yieldably mountedV formovement in `a vertical aswell as a horizontal ,direction so as toprovide a substantially floating, can-cutting apparatus. f .l Anotherobject' is-,to provide a new and yim- "proved can opener of the desiredcharacter'derscribed iny which` a cutting wheel is resiliently .mountedfor relative axial or wobbling move:-

ment with respect to its associated apparatus.

,It is afurther object toprovide a can opener of new and improvedconstruction characterized .A still further object is to provide a newand .improvedv substantially fool-proof means adaptable for theyieldable accommodation of cansof any'conventional size and designed toprevent sticking orjamming of the cutting parts crun- ,due tilting ofthe can.`

Another further object is to provide a can opener having new andimproved self-aligning 'features and which is susceptible of economicalreproduction byy conventional mass production methods.

Other objects and advantages will appear Aand be4v brought out morefully from the following descrip-tion considered with reference to theaccompanying drawings throughout which like partsv are.v designated bylike numerals. Y

Inthe drawings: f Figure 1 is an'elevational view of a can openerembodying this invention illustrating the side parts jbeng cut away.

`fully appears. `tends upwardly at an angle to the pla-ne of said Figure3 is a view similar to Figure 2 with the parts disposed in anotheroperative position.

Figure 4 is a vertical, sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure l.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure l, parts of the supporting bracketbeing cut away and the handle and operative parts being shown in aclosed or can-cutting position.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary, detailed View of the cutter and its mounting.

Figure 7 is a detailed sectional elevational View on the line 1*-1 ofFigure l.

Figure 8 is a plan sectional View on the line 8 8 of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view on the line 9--9 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I show an elongated canopener frame I I pivotally mounted by means of pins I2 to a wall bracketI3 which may be secured to a Wall I4, as by means of screws I5.Saidfrarne has a cutout portion I6 providing an upper leg l1 and a lowerleg I8 which may be bent into bearing sleeves I2 for engagement with thepins I2 so as to provide a sturdy vertical pivotal sup-port for the canopener. Said frame is further provided with a fixed shouldered pin I9, ahole 29 for the obital oscillation of a shaft 2l, and circular hole 22between said pin I9 and said hole 29 for rotatable confinement of anannular eccentric disk 23 as hereinafter more An ear '24 on said frame II exframe and provides a fixed support for a freely rotating cuttingwheel 25, while anges 21, and 29, stuck out from the frame, serve tostrengthen it. The flanges 21 and 29 also serve, in cooperation withresilient structures hereinafter described, as can-positioning guides tohold a can in correct alignment with the cutting wheel 2S. An optionalhook. bottle opener 39 may be formed in the lower portion of the frame.

A lever 3l is oscillatably mounted at one of its ends on the pin I9through a slot 32 in said lever 3|. Said lever 3l is further journalledbetween its ends upon an eccentric bearing pin 33 aixed to the eccentricdisk 23 rotatably mounted in the frame Il so that the rotation of saiddisk 23 imparts an orbital up-and-down motion to the right-hand end ofthe lever 3l, as best illustrated in Figures l and 5. The movement ofthe lever 3I resembles that of' a connecting rod between a piston andcrankshaft in an engine but is restricted, for reasons which willhereafter appear, to less than a complete revolution of the disk 23.

A handle 34 is mounted upon a crank 35 keyed to Ithe shaft 2 I. Saidshaft 2 I is rotatably mounted in the right-hand end of said lever 3Iand extends through the hole 29 for orbital rotation therein. Keyed tothe shaft 2 I, in addition to the crank 35, is a full gear 3S, a cam 3'1and a serrated wheel 38.

Eccentrically and rigidly affixed to said eccentric disk 23 is amutilated gear 39 adapted to mesh with the full gear 35 during certainoperating cycles.

It will now appear that the rotation of the crank 35 in either directionwill, if said gears 36 and 39 are in mesh, cause the mutilated gear 39and the eccentric disk 23 to rotate, thereby rotating the eccentricbearing pin 33 and oscillating the lever 3l so as to orbitally raise orlower the shaft 2i within the hole 29. The mutilated gear '39, beingeccentrically mounted upon the eccentric disk 23, in like manner to thelever 3|, oscillates in unison with the lever 3| and thereby retains asubstantially fixed center-to-center relationship to the full gear 36which is carried by the lever 3|.

The cutting wheel 25 is rotatably mounted on a stud 49 seated in the ear24 of the frame II at an angle with respect to the plane of the serratedwheel 39, and with the cutting edge 4I of the cutting wheel 26 adjacentto the outer edge of said serrated wheel 38 when the serrated wheel isin its uppermost position.

Pivotally mounted upon the mutilated gear 39 (Figures 2 and 3) by meansof a pin 42, I provide a pawl 43. A spring 44 is mounted in a slottedpin 45 also on the gear 39 against which pin one end 46 of the pawl isnormally urged. by the spring. The other end 41 of the pawl projectsbeyond the teeth at one end of the mutilated gear 39. At the other endof the mutilated gear yprovide an enlarged tooth or stop 49 whichprevents the clockwise rotation of the mutilated gear or thecounter-clockwise rotation of the full gear beyond their position shownin Figure 2. A vstop 49 is secured in the frame II diametricallyopposite the position of the enlarged tooth 48 shown in Figure 2 forlimiting the counter-clockwise rotation of the mutilated gear by theengagement of said enlarged tooth 48 with said stop 49, as shown inFigure 3.

The cam 31, which is keyed to the shaft 2l, lies in the plane of thepawl 43 so that a clockwise rotation of the handle 34 (Figure 2)initially causes the mutilated gear 39 to run oli of the full gear 33,and subsequently causes the cam 31 to engage the back 59 of the pawl andto flex the spring 44 thereby permitting the cam 31 to slip past saidpawl 43 at each successive clockwise revolution of the crank. Theenlarged tooth 48 meanwhile holds the mutilated gear 39 against furthercounter-clockwise rotation due to the engagement of said tooth with thestop 49.

A counter-clockwise rotation of the crank turns the full gear 33 andhence the cam 31 into the position shown in Figure 3 wherein the camface 5I has engaged the end 41 of the pawl. Continued countereclockwiserotation of the crank brings about an inter-engagement of the gears 35and 39 and a clockwise rotation of the mutilated gear 39 until theenlarged tooth 48 on said mutilated gear engages the full gear 3Sthereby preventing further clockwise rotation of said mutilated gear(Figure 2).

A cover 52, of a size and shape suitable for covering the gears 36 and39 and their associated mechanism, may be -provided upon the side of theframe opposite from the serrated wheel 38 to protect the gears, the cam31, and the pawl 43, and to avoid possible injury to the fingers of anoperator. Said cover 52 has a hole (not shown) to accommodate the shaftZI. A thrust washer 54 for the crank 35 preferably is provided betweensaid cover and said crank. The cover 52 may be secured to the frame IIas by screws 55.

To removably secure the frame I I on the pins I 2,'I provide ahook-shaped latch 56 pivoted to the frame II by a pin 51. Said latch mayengage a slot 58 formed in an ear of the bracket I3 whereby the frame IIis adjustably held in a desired position of extension from the Ywall I4and also may be releasably locked against vertical movement upon saidpins I2. A ngerpiece 59 aids the manipulation of said latch 55. Theframe II may be swung parallel with the wall I4 when said latch 56 isreleased from engagement with the slot 58.

f""The"aXes` of the cuttingfwheel pinfand-the 'driving wheel pin`orshaft' arel preferablyl inclinedftoward one `lanother at'approximately 30" includedangle, Vbutat least greater than 0 and tnotmore than about l The'par'ts'an'd their relationship' 'described up 'tothis pointare similar to those in vvmy applicanon, sensi No. 597,176,and for continuity, and to 'render "easierfan understanding of the im-''prevernents'l tofwhichthe present application is ipa rticula'rlydirected, Iwill'next describe the operation of the'de'vic'e as thus farset forth.

f {'jrhe`hand1es4jis'turned to its limit of counter-I clockwiserotation-as shown in Figure 2, 'thusgear 39 in' alco-unter-clockwisedirection untilthe cutting'wheel`26 andthe serrated wheel 3B are incan-cutting position, whereupon said mutilated gearruns off the fullgear 35, just as the 'enlarged'tooth 48" engages the stop 49 to preventthe *continuedcounter-clockwise rotation of said mutilated gear.Continued clockwise rotation l'ofthe handle rotates the serrated wheel38 which carries the edge ofthe can with it for cutting -engagement with,said cutting wheel 26. At each successive clockwise rotation of thehandle 3,4 the cam 37 slips by the back 52 of the paw] 43 by, depressingthespring 44 in a counter-clockwise direction. g I d' fr u poncompletion of the. cuttingV operation, the lid having been severed fromthe can, the handleis given encounter-'clockwise rotation as ,heretoforedescribed', resulting in the l*spacing `of the'serrated wheel 38 fromthe cuttingwheel 25, v

whereby thelip ofthe can is releasedl f y Just before fthe lid of thecan is completely severed, 'said lid is tilted'upwardlyso as to bereadily Igraspedv by virtue of the novel relationship between thecutting edge 4| of the wheel 26 and the4 serrated wheel 38. The cuttingwheel 26 lis disposed at an'angle to lthe plane of the serrated wheel 38as'hereinbefore noted. The axis of the cutting wheel is preferablyoffset slightly from that lof the serrated wheel when the latter v`is incuttingposition.l By this arrangement the cutting edge 4| bears downupon the top'of the can lid adjacent to the cutting area-slightly rear-4'wardly of they tangential contact of the can lip with the serratedwheel. The edge of the 'lid is thereby pushed downwardly by the inclinedfaces of the cutting edge 4I tending to tilt the lid upwardly sd that itmay `be readily grasped before the completionv of the cutting operation.AThe cutting wheel 26 should have suicient thickness 'and the angle ofthe cutting edge should be sufficiently great to prevent the jamming andbinding of the cutting wheel during the cutting operation. Theproportions illustrated have been found satisfactory.

' l It should be noted that the movement of the serrated wheel 38towards the cutting wheel 25, in the" initial clockwise rotation of thecrank 35, is not a straight-line but a curved-line movement, wherein theserrated wheel is swung upwardly towards the cutting wheel at the sametime the serrated wheel is turning, thereby gripping the under side ofthe can lip and moving the can into operative proximity to the cuttingwheel. The resultant of these curved-line and rolling movements is asmooth, progressive, initial can-piercing operation which is achieved bya minimum of effort.

Thusfar this description has been concerned with the basic form of mycan opener essentially as shown and described in the co-pendingapplication hereinabove referred to. The improvements comprising thesubject matter of the instant application broadly comprise a springgenerally designated by the numeral |93 and its associated structure, anoffset spring-like section 230 in the lever 3|, a spring 300 associatedwith the cutting wheel 26 including its cooperating structures, and aspring guide 400, as will now be described in greater detail.

Referring first to the spring modication |00 associated with the lever3|, said lever is formed with a slot 32, as above noted, such that thepin' I9 can move longitudinally therein. In utilizing the spring |00said slot is made substantially wider than the shank of the :pin |9thereby permitting a predetermined degree of vertical tilting movementof the lever on the bearing pin 33. To this end, the frame may be formedwith an outwardly extending ear |0| having a downwardly extending lug|Il2, and the corresponding upper edge of the lever may be similarlyformed with an upwardly extending lug |03. The spring |00 encirclesthese two lugs and is normally held in a condition of compressiontherebetween in such a manner that the left-hand end of the lever 3|, asillustrated in Figures l and 5, is normally forced downwardly to holdthe uppermost edge |04 of the slot against the pin i9. Therefore, adownward pressure upon the-serrated wheel acting to remove the sameawayl from the cutting wheel will be required to further compress thecoil spring' lIlIJ. Such a movement may occur whenever the cutting lipof a can has anincreased vertical thickness or similar irregularity. Thetension of the spring |06 may be sovadjusted that. the` normal cuttingoperation ofthe can opener may be carried out with the spring in itsextended position normally forcing the upper edge IM of the slot againstthe pin I9 and so that only the exceptional strain or stress of avertically thickened seam'will serve to further compress the spring IIloor force the bottom edge |05 of the slot towards the shank of the pinI9. In a properly proportioned can opener, the bottom edge'of the slotshould never quite engage the pin I9 during a can-cutting operation.

Referring now to the spring form of the lever 3|, an offset generallydesignated by the nun meral 29|) may be formed as by a double bend or bya simple kick to properly space the righthand end ofthe lever carryingthe lserrated wheel outwardly from the plane of the'body of the canopener, preferably though not necessarily at an angle to the frame. Thelever 3| is preferably made `of spring steel or like material but ifdesired it may be tempered only at and adjacent the offset portion 209.

cutting wheel as, when the lip of a can contains any transversethickening or irregularity such as a transversely thickened bead orseam. KNormally the lever is spaced from the frame to This constructionof vthe lever permitskthe serratedy wheel 3BA to move horizontally awayfrom the 7, retain the serrated and cutting wheels axially apart adistance approximately equal to a double thickness of the material ofwhich the can is made so as to approximate the thickness of a can lip inwhich no abnormal thickening exists. It is within the contemplation ofthis invention, however, normally to position the serrated wheelsubstantially against the inner cutting edge 295 of the cutting wheel sothat any conventional can lip is pinched between the cutter and theserrated wheel while being cut. It will be seen, therefore, that thislatter construction of the lever provides the serrated wheel and thecutting wheel with a resilient tolerance in a horizontal direction in amanner to compensate for the irregularities in the lip of a can due tovariations in its thickness. Moreover the combination of the springslili? and 203 allow a can to float between the cutting and serratedwheels in a vertical as well as a horizontal direction.

The cutting wheel 2S, as most clearly illustrated in Figure 6, ismounted upon a pin it optionally extending entirely therethrough andformed with a head 30! on the opposite side of the frame '24 from thesaid cutting wheel. On the end adjacent `the frame 2li this pin isprovided with a Shoulder 302 which may be either loosely or xedlyassociated with the pin by keying or pressing. An annular shoulder orwasher 303 also encircles the pin and is spaced from the shoulder 302 sothat the cutting wheel 28 may move axially or wobble upon its pin to alimited extent.

Coil spring 300 encircles the shoulder 302, the

washer 303, and the shaft of the cutting wheel 2t and normally urges thecutting wheel axially away from the ear 24 of the frame upon which it ismounted. A certain amount of play is provided in the shaft of thecutting wheel so that the wheel is free to move to a limited extentlaterally thereby providing a variable clearance between the cuttingwheel and the serrated wheel 38. The purpose of the spring 300 is tohold the cutting wheel 20 in a normal position parallel to the ear 24during the normal cutting operation, but to allow the cutting wheel tomove slightly away from the serrated wheel during the time when the canopener is cutting through the thickened seam of a can, thereby providinggreater clearance for the seam between the serrated wheel and thecutting wheel.

Adjacent the cutting wheel 20 and at a point upon the opposite side ofsaid wheel from the guide 21 is a spring guide 400 as most clearlyillustrated in Figures 1, 4, 5, and 9. The spring guide comprises asubstantially inverted L- shaped member preferably formed of springsteel and secured to the frame by any suitable means such as rivets430i, and an outwardly extending leg 402 which functions in the mannerof a vertically movable guide for the lip and top of a can. In View ofthe fact that cans of unusually large diameter, for example those havinga capacity of one gallon or more, tend to be tipped out of the verticalduring a cutting operation the cans tend to stick or jam between thecutting and serrated wheels. The abutment of the top of the can with theunderside of the outwardly extending leg 402 is designed to yieldablyresist such undesired tipping. Said leg is preferably given a downwardslant in order to assist in guiding a can while retaining and urging thesame into position against the serrated wheel and inwardly towards theframe at that point. Such an action is found to improve and facilitatethe cutting of the can.

By the addition of the springs |00, 200, 300 and 400, and the structuresassociated with them, the can may in a real sense be said to oat duringthe entire cutting operation, inasmuch as it is permitted to have ayieldable vertical movement by virtue of the springs 100 and/or 300.Furthermore, the wobbling movement of the cutting wheel and also thelateral or axial movement of the serrated wheel due to the springstructure 200 incorporated in the lever permits resilient lateralmovement of these parts and the spring guide 400 further permits alimited degree of deviation of the can from the vertical. Thus asuitable combination of these resilient structures insulates the entireoperative mechanism as well as the can against shock and is nicelycalculated to compensate for variations in thickness and proportions ofthe rim of such can. From the operators point of view the can may easilybe placed in a cutting position on the can opener without timeconsumingadjustments and without being concerned over whether all parts are inproper relation to each other since all essential operative parts aresubstantially self-aligning. The handle has been found to revolve with aminimum of effort and a maximum of effectiveness.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I haveconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of myinvention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed hereinbut is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace anyand all equivalent devices.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A can opener comprising a supporting frame, a cutter journalled uponthe frame, a lever oscillatably mounted upon the frame, and a shaftrotatably mounted on the lever, a crank, a cam, a full gear and adriving wheel keyed to said shaft, an eccentric bearing oscillatablyconnecting said lever to said supporting frame, a mutilated gearoperatively connected to said bearing and engageable with said fullgear, a spring urged pawl pivotally mounted on said mutilated gear andengageable with said cam in one direction of rotation of said shaftinitially to cause the engagement of said mutilated gear with said fullgear, a stop on said mutilated gear, an extension on said supportingframe engageable by said stop to limit the rotation of said mutilatedgear in onev direction and said stop being also engageable with saidfull gear to limit the rotation of said mutilated gear in the oppositedirection, and resilient means urging said driving wheel into aproximate relationship with said cutter.

2. A can opener comprising a supporting frame, a cutter journalled uponthe frame, a lever oscillatably mounted upon the frame, and a shaftrotatably mounted on the lever, a crank, a cam, a full gear and adriving wheel keyed to said shaft, an eccentric bearing oscillatablyconnecting said lever to said supporting frame, a mutilated gearoperatively connected to said bearing and engageable with said fullgear, a spring urged pawl pivotally mounted on said mutilated gear andengageable with said cam in one direction of rotation of said shaftinitially to cause the engagement of said mutilated gear with said fullgear,

a stop on said mutilated gear, `,an extension on said supporting frameengageable by said stop to limit the rotation of said mutilated gear inone direction and said stop being also engageable with said full gear tolimit the rotation of said mutilated gear in the opposite direction, andresilient means urging said driving wheel into a proximate relationshipwith said cutter, said lever having a spring action normally urging thedriving wheel axially outwardly away from the frame and being oiset inits body portion in a manner to carry the end of the lever mostproximate to the cutter outwardly from, but substantially parallel to,the frame body.

3. A can opener comprising a supporting frame, a cutter journalled uponthe frame, a lever oscillatably mounted upon the frame, and a shaftrotatably mounted on the lever, a crank, a cam, a full gear and adriving wheel keyed to said shaft, an eccentric bearing oscillatablyconnecting said lever to` said supporting frame, a

mutilated gear operatively connected to said bearing and engageable withsaid full gear, resilient guide means positioned adjacent the cutteradapted to yieldably hold the top of a can substantially level during acutting operation.

4. In a can opener comprising a supporting frame, a cutter journalledupon the frame, a lever oscillatably mounted upon the frame, and a shaftrotatably mounted on the lever, a crank, a cam, a full gear and adriving wheel keyed to said shaft, an eccentric bearing oscillatablyconnecting said lever to said supporting frame, a mutilated gearoperatively connected to said bearing and engageable with said fullgear, spaced guide arms projecting laterally from said frame at bothsides of the cutter, the novelty comprising at least one of said guidesnormally bearing downwardly upon the top of a can and being verticallyflexible in a manner to yieldably hold the bead of the can against thedriving wheel.

5. In a can opener of the character described comprising a driving wheelelement and a cutter element operatively mounted on a frame for relativeradial motion towardsv one another, said driving element being mountedinwardly closer to the frame thanthe cutter element, a lever journalledin the frame, said driving element being rotatably mounted on the lever,means for bringing the driving element and the cutter element intoanoperative, can-cutting position, the novelty comprising said leverhaving a spring normally urging the driving wheel axially outwardly awayfromthe frame and against said cutter.

6. In a can opener of the character described comprising a driving wheelelement and a cutter element operatively mounted on a frame for re1-ative radial motion towards one another, said driving element beingmounted inwardly closer to the frame than the cutter element, a leverjournalled in the frame, said driving element being rotatably mounted onthe lever, means for bringing the driving element and the cutter elementinto an operative, can-cutting position, the novelty comprising thejournalled connection of the lever and the frame providing relative playin a vertical direction between the cutter and the driving wheel, andresilient means normally urging lsaid driving wheel and Said cuttingwheel axially to any extreme of proximity limited by the play in saidjournalled connection.

7. In a can opener of the character described comprising a driving wheeland a rotative cutter operatively mounted on a frame for relative radialmotion towards one another, the improvement comprising: a shaft havingsaid cutter loosely journalled thereon, a iirst resilient means normallyurging said cutter towards an end of said shaft outwardly from saidframe, a stop limiting the axial movement of' said cutter on said shaft,a lever mounted on said frame for relative longitudinal oscillatorymovement, said driving wheel being rotatively mounted on said lever, asecond resilient means associated with said lever normally urging saiddriving wheel outwardly from said frame and normally into a proximatecan-cutting relationship with said cutter, a third resilient meansassociated with said lever adapted to tilt said lever with respect tosaid frame in a manner to urge said driving wheel radially towards saidcutter, said lever having a loose journalled connection with said framewhereby said driving wheel element may be yieldably urged away from saidcutter by said third resilient means to an extent limited, and a fourthresilient means extending outwardly from said frame adjacent the cutteradapted to yieldably press a can downwardly against the driving wheelduring a cutting operation, all of said resilient means being cooperableto yieldably mount a can in cutting position on said can opener.

JOSEF LAMPL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Iile ofthis patent:

STATES PATENTS' Number Name Date 2,186,668 Curtis Jan. 9, 1940 2,278,731Olschewski Apr.y 7, 1942 2,423,221 Berkman July 1, 1947 2,462,416 NelsonFeb. 22, 1949

